


La Sonrisa del Infierno

by KawasakiNinri, nimrism



Category: Vis a Vis | Locked In (Spain TV)
Genre: A better spinoff, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Heist, Helena Martín - Freeform, Macarena's baby, Zurena
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:07:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24899656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KawasakiNinri/pseuds/KawasakiNinri, https://archiveofourown.org/users/nimrism/pseuds/nimrism
Summary: The chronicles of Zulema & Macarena after they get out of prison and decide to do a heist together. This is the kind of spinoff they should've gotten
Relationships: Zulema Zahir/Macarena Ferreiro
Comments: 35
Kudos: 107





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is set after Maca picks Zulema up from prison, and then they part at the graveyard. Just a heads up so there isn't much confusion

Zulema stopped in front of a gravestone. 'Fátima Zahir', it read. "She was only 20 when she died" Zulema softly touched the letters on the grave.

Macarena stood behind her "I didn't get to know her" she said as she looked at the gravestone. 

"Neither did I, and she was my daughter" Zulema sighed. The sadness in her eyes was obvious. She never really knew her daughter. She was taken from her at birth. She only saw her once when she was 6 and then again in prison.

"They don’t even give you a piece of land for worms to eat you. They put you here-" she said and put a flower in the crack of the gravestone. "Like it's a fucking warehouse" she took a bouquet and hit the gravestone with it. "A fucking warehouse like Ikea! Coño!" she screamed.

She threw the bouquet and turned to Macarena.

"I missed a lot of things when I was in the hospital" she said.

"You haven‘t missed anything" 

"I think so" she paused. "The Zulema that I knew would've gotten out of jail with headbutts, breaking walls. Not through the doors..... with a bus ticket" she added.

"Well, you came.... my driver!" Zulema angrily pushed Macarena's head away with her finger.

"What are you doing?!" Macarena said, frustrated. "Hey! You’ve always thought you're different from the rest.... no? Zulema the indomitable. Well now you're going to end up like the rest. You are going to a controlled house. You’re going to have to sign every week in court and they'll give you a shitty job. You're just going to be another fool!" she blurted.

Zulema had had enough. She spun around and slapped Macarena.

There was a brief silence. "You lost. We both lost" Macarena said, looking back at Zulema. She turned around and walked away from the brunette.

Zulema looked at the pedestrians staring at her "Qué?" she hissed at them. They immediately turned around and left. "Fucking flowers!" she said and struck the flowers hanging from the gravestones.

She didn't follow Macarena. She didn‘t need her. She didn't need 'friends'. She would spend her life outside the prison as she did inside; alone and friendless.

*Three Months Later*

Zulema had spent the past three months trying to live a normal life. She took the shitty job they gave her at the car wash, and she tried her best to be agreeable and friendly with customers.

She visited her daughter's grave every day, and when people weren't around, she sang to her. Singing made her feel closer to Fátima, and closer to peace.

But, no matter how hard she tried to be normal, her mind always went back to committing crimes, a few swear words slipped out when she was speaking to the customers at the car wash, and she found herself growing sick and tired of her job.

"Joder" she huffed as she pushed open the door to the grocery store. Shopping was one of her least favorite activities. She hated walking around the tiny aisles, pushing around a large cart, looking for certain brands. It made her feel normal- it unsettled her.

"Buenos días" she mumbled to the security guard as she took out a cart. She quickly picked up her favorite cereal, some milk, and some candy bars from the snack aisle, then she moved on to the cleaning supplies aisle.

She was grudgingly pushing her cart toward the end of the aisle when she stopped.

A familiar blonde head was standing with a small basket at the end of the aisle, running her hand through the laundry detergents. She stopped at a pastel colored detergent, picked it up, opened it, and inhaled its scent. Her whole body relaxed and she continued smelling it, unaware of the brunette watching her.

Zulema laughed. "You like detergents too, rubia? I thought it was just the washing machines"

Macarena's head snapped to where Zulema was standing. "Where the hell did you come from?"

"Cairo. But you already know that" Zulema smirked. "I didn't know you got your groceries from here" she continued as she looked through the various detergents. She didn't know whether she should be happy about seeing the blonde again or not.

"I don't" Macarena closed the detergent she was smelling. "The other store didn't have this" she shook the detergent in Zulema's direction then put it in her basket. "How's the car washing going? Have you 'accidentally' lit up one of the cars with gasoline yet?" She didn't know why she did it, but she quickly ripped out a piece of paper and scribbled her number on it.

"Not just yet" Zulema said, getting up to push her cart again.

Macarena walked closer to Zulema. "Well, I'm off to checkout" she walked past her then stopped. She rummaged in her pocket a bit and took out a small packet of gummy bears. Discreetly, she stuck the piece of paper to the packet. She threw the candy to Zulema. "I was saving these for later, but I know you like them"

Zulema caught the packet and smiled. She pocketed it and slightly waved at the blonde before she left. "Puta rubia" she laughed to herself before she continued shopping.

Back at her small apartment, Zulema had just finished putting all the groceries away. She kicked off her boots and hopped onto the couch, pulling out Macarena's gummy bears.

She opened the small packet, turned on the tv, and sat down.

Once she was done, she began to ball up the plastic to throw it away, when she felt something sticky on the side. It was a small piece of paper.

She ripped it off and unfolded it, revealing a number written hastily on it. She shook her head in disbelief. "Did she actually just give me her number?" she laughed.

She was about to throw the piece of paper away when she spotted the little bulletin board she had in the corner. Zulema had been planning the perfect heist since she got out of prison. She wasn't planning on going through with it, she just did it for fun, to keep her criminal mind sharp- but now, Macarena had given her her phone number, so she could call her and try to convince her to help her.

Zulema shook her head. "No, she would never agree" she whispered to herself. Nevertheless, she pinned the piece of paper with Macarena's phone number to the bulletin board.

Zulema tried to sleep, but couldn't. She wondered why the blonde would give her her phone number. Or was that even her phone number? She didn't know.

Tired of asking questions with no answers, Zulema got up at 3am, picked up her phone, and called the number.

Macarena wasn't asleep either. She was up as well, wondering if the brunette would call her, or if she would just ignore her. What would they talk about anyway? Just as she was about to give up hope and go to sleep, the phone rang.

Macarena immediately picked it up. "Dígame"

Zulema smiled when she heard Macarena's voice on the other end. "How sweet. You stuck that piece of paper to the gummy bears for me to call you?"

"What made you call? Especially at this hour" Macarena ignored the question.

"I was curious I guess"

"Cut to the chase. What do you want to tell me?" Macarena knew Zulema always had an ulterior motive behind anything she did. And she wanted to know.

Zulema smiled. "I've been planning this heist ever since I got out. It started out as a hobby but I think we can pull it off- if we work together"

Macarena knew that Zulema wouldn't just wash cars for the rest of her life. She contemplated what she said for a few seconds. "I'll meet you at 10 behind the store we met at. If I like the plan, I'm in"

Zulema smiled. "Buenas noches rubia" she said. She lay down on her bed with a smile plastered on her face. She knew the blonde wouldn't be able to resist the offer she would make her.


	2. Chapter 2

"Yara Nasser is a successful entrepreneur. She has her own game show which gets millions of views every month, and she owns a couple of hotels in Morocco, Greece, and on the coast of Spain. She's a billionaire" Zulema said, bringing up pictures of a woman in her thirties. She had blue eyes, and her hair was dyed a light lavender color.

"Why are you telling me this?" Macarena asked as she looked through the pictures and back at Zulema.

"This year, she's giving away 15 million euros on her game show. To one contestant" Zulema replied.

"Joder! That's a lot" Macarena's eyes widened.

"It's true. Her show's called 'One Question, One Dream'. They ask contestants random questions and whoever answers the most questions wins. It's usually all random knowledge, but this time, since they're giving away a shit load of money, the questions are gonna be like those you'd find in a science curriculum"

"You really took the time to research this woman and the show, huh?"

"It's 15 million euros on a silver platter. Of course I took the time to research"

"How the fuck can this Yara person afford to give away 15 million on something as stupid as a game show?"

"She's earned hundreds of millions in the past few years through her hotels and this 'stupid' show alone. It's known worldwide. She can afford to give away more than this"

"I'm guessing she doesn't give any of it to charity, right?"

"Nope. She only gives a small part of her money away through this show. Only to earn it all back and more because of the views"

"So what are you planning on doing? You'll memorize all of Wikipedia and go compete?"

"Of course not. We have guns for a reason"

"You have guns? I thought you were trying to be normal"

"Well yeah I can be normal and still have guns"

"I don't think that's how it works"

"Whatever. We can threaten someone on the show into giving us all the answers before it starts, and we can win. Simple"

"This is the huge heist you've been planning since you got out of prison? Really?"

"That's only part of it, rubia. The rest I'll tell you later"

"Oh for fuck's sake, Zulema. If I'm doing this, I want to know exactly what I'm getting myself into"

"That's all you need to know. I'm not telling you any more" Zulema turned around to leave. "You have my number. Call me if you're in"

She didn't get to walk a few steps before Macarena grabbed her by her hair and stepped closer to her. "Listen, hija de puta, I know you need me on this heist. So you either tell me the whole fucking plan or I'm out" she whispered in Zulema's ear.

Zulema let her finish then elbowed her in the ribs, kicked her in the shin, and twisted her arm behind her, so that Macarena was on her knees with one arm behind her. Zulema ran her hand through her hair to smooth it out, then she bent down so she was at eye level with Macarena.

"I see you've gotten even braver than you were in prison. Memorize this: 15 Rolleto Street, Downtown. Come by tomorrow. Then you'll find out what you want" she pushed Macarena away. "Hasta mañana, rubia" with that, she turned around and left.

Macarena stood up, straightened her clothes, and watched Zulema walk away. "15 Rolleto Street" she repeated to herself as she drove home.

Zulema was eating her cereal early the next morning, still wearing the oversized tshirt she slept in, when her doorbell rang. She swallowed, put the spoon down, got up, and looked through the peephole. Sure enough, Macarena was there with her arms crossed, waiting for the brunette to open the door.

"Welcome to my humble abode" Zulema mockingly bowed as Macarena walked in.

"Your apartment is a fucking mess" Macarena said as she made herself comfortable on the couch and looked around.

"Thank you for noticing" Zulema smiled. "Tea?"

"Fuck off, Zulema"

"Good. Cause I don't have any tea" Zulema sat down to continue eating her cereal.

"So, are you gonna tell me the whole thing? Or did I come here for nothing"

Zulema had filled her mouth with cereal, but she pointed at the bulletin board.

Macarena walked over to it. It was the full package: photographs, news articles, google screenshots, and even red strings and tiny pins.

Zulema finished her cereal and silently got up and stood behind Macarena. "After the game show, we're gonna suck her bank account dry"

Macarena didn't flinch. "Looks like we'll need more people"

"I already have a few people in mind" Zulema moved so that she was standing next to the blonde in front of the bulletin board. "If you're in, I can call them right now"

"Of course I'm in" Macarena hopped back onto the couch.

"Boots off my couch, rubia" Zulema pushed Macarena's feet off the leather couch and picked up her phone.

While Zulema talked to assassins and hitmen, Maca put her feet back on the couch, found the tv remote, and turned it on. The news channel was on. Typical of Zulema.

"BORING" Macarena loudly flipped through the channels as Zulema kept giving her warning looks and trying to shut her up.

The second she was done with the calls, she dropped her phone and pounced on Macarena, taking the remote from her, turning off the tv, and proceeding to continue sitting on her.

"Mierda, rubia" Zulema huffed as she adjusted herself so that she was sitting on the blonde's back while Macarena lay flat on her stomach on the couch.

Maca laughed. "So who'd you call?"

"Omar Walid; he can fake passports and papers so we can get on the show with fake names. Salma Nader; she'll supply the weapons and will be ready if anything goes wrong. Nyah Yasser; she's our hacker. She can get into any system easily. And finally, Helena Martín. You know her"

"She's the cop who went undercover in Cruz Del Sur?"

Zulema nodded.

"Okay but why are they all Arabs? Excluding Helena" Macarena surveyed the situation she was in. She was under the brunette and couldn't really do anything about it.

"You have a problem with that?"

"Not at all" Macarena said. "Can you get off me now?"

Zulema got up and allowed the blonde to get up and straighten her clothes and hair. Then she watched her walk to the kitchen. "What the fuck are you doing?"

Macarena ignored Zulema and opened the first cabinet to find, to her delight, different bottles of alcohol. She took out the Tequila, put it on the counter, and looked for glasses as Zulema walked into the kitchen with her arms crossed.

"I'll pour you a glass as well, don't worry" Macarena smiled as she poured out the Tequila. They drank a bit then Macarena got her phone and began playing music.

"What the fuck is this, a bar?" Zulema asked, slightly amused.

"No, that's the problem" Macarena started to dance.

Zulema plopped herself in a chair and continued drinking as she watched Maca drink and dance. She didn't know why, but she liked it.

"Come dance with me" Macarena tried to pull Zulema out of her chair.

"No" Zulema said.

"Come onnn" Maca pleaded and pulled Zulema out of the chair.

Zulema groaned and got up. She listened to the song and began to move her head to the beat. Then she began to sway her hips, with her arms in the air. She moved closer to Macarena, who was dancing as well.

This didn't go unnoticed by the blonde, who stepped even closer to Zulema.

With a quick movement, Zulema spun Macarena around so that she was facing her back, and she pulled her waist as close to her as possible, leaving no space between them. She continued dancing, her hands now on Maca's hips, moving them along with her.

That had taken Macarena by surprise, and she audibly gasped, which made the brunette smile. They danced for a while until Maca turned around to face Zulema. Their noses almost touching, she could feel her hot breath on her cheeks.

Macarena looked into the pair of green eyes in front of her, trying to read her intention, but it was unclear. She continued staring into the brunette's eyes.

Zulema stared back, not understanding what she was feeling. She shrugged it off and smiled at the blonde in front of her.

"Mwah" she playfully planted a kiss on Maca's cheek and entered her room, smiling in satisfaction. She didn't know why she felt that way about the blonde- it wasn't something she was used to- but she liked it.

There was a brief silence when Macarena turned off the music outside, then, Zulema heard a soft knock on her bedroom door.

Maca didn't wait for an answer, she opened the door and walked in. "I can't drive home now" she faced Zulema in the dark. "Can I stay here?"

"Joder, rubia. You should've thought of that before you drank enough alcohol to supply 3 bars"

"Mmhmf" Macarena mumbled as she climbed into Zulema's bed and buried her face in the pillow.

Zulema was at the far end of the room, removing her makeup. "No no no no, if you're staying here, you're staying on the couch" she walked over to the bed and tried to nudge Maca off.

But Macarena was too drunk and insistent on sleeping in Zulema's bed to react.

"Joder" Zulema huffed as slid one hand under the blonde's knees and another under her back. She picked her up and put her down on the couch outside. "Stay there" she said, then went back into her room.

She hopped onto the bed and lay on her side. She smiled at the thought of the sleeping blonde outside.

The next morning, Zulema woke up feeling extra warm. When she tried to move, she realized Maca was hugging her from behind, one hand around her waist.

"Joder" Zulema whispered to herself. She gently moved the blonde's arm away from her waist then she slowly got up so as not to wake her. She pulled off her shirt and hopped into the shower, wanting to clear her head and organize her thoughts.

She had just danced with Macarena the night before. Nothing had happened between them. Somehow that disappointed Zulema. But to wake up finding the blonde spooning her- she never expected that.

The shower only filled her with more thoughts. She got out, put on a pair of black pants with chains on the side, and a mint green hoodie, and walked back over to her bed, where Maca was still peacefully sleeping.

Zulema pulled up a chair and sat in front of the bed, watching the blonde's chest rise and fall. She was still in her jeans and a small shirt. Zulema lit a cigarette and proceeded to smoke it as she waited for Macarena to wake up.

After a while, Macarena yawned and began to stretch, then she realized she wasn't in her bed. "Shit" she whispered to herself, remembering the events of the day before. She remembered dancing with Zulema and climbing into bed with her after she had kicked her out of the room. She even remembered subconsciously hugging her from behind while she was asleep. Now noticing she was the only one in bed, she lifted her head up to look around the room, only to find Zulema watching her with a cigarette in her mouth.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty" Zulema took a draft from her cigarette and blew the smoke in Maca's face.

Macarena turned to the other side to avoid the smoke. "Happy to see me?" She said as she got up and tried to tidy her hair in the mirror.

"Elated. Now get out of my apartment" 

"Can I at least take a shower? I can't go out into the street looking like THIS" she pointed at herself in the mirror.

"You can't take any of my clothes" Zulema took another draft as she looked out of the open window. All she could see was buildings.

Macarena ignored Zulema and opened her closet. "This is cute" she pulled out a black tank top and denim jacket.

"This isn't a clothing store" Zulema was beginning to get frustrated.

Again, Macarena ignored her and continued digging in her closet. "Black bras, black underwear, black clothes- where's the COLOR" she dug a bit more until she found a denim short. She giggled at the thought of Zulema wearing it.

Zulema continued smoking as she watched the blonde in silence. She watched her take one of her bras, her underwear, and some other clothes, then she walked to the bathroom. Zulema walked outside and looked through her cupboards to see what she could make for breakfast.

Knowing full well she had only brought cereal, she groaned and pulled it out. Before she could pour some out, the blonde appeared in the doorway with wet hair and a towel wrapped around her.

"Why take my clothes if you're gonna come out naked anyway?" Zulema asked, looking Macarena up and down.

"I just wanted to see what we were having for breakfast" Maca smiled innocently.

"Cereal drowns in milk, so technically, milk is a cereal killer" Zulema looked at the back of the cereal box, ignoring Macarena.

"So.... cereal?" The blonde asked, disappointed.

"Yep. Take it or leave it, rubia"

"I'll go down to the store and get us pancake mix or something. It'll only take a minute. She turned around and went to get dressed.

Zulema followed the blonde with her eyes, wondering if she really would go to the store or just go home, leaving her alone.

Macarena walked out a minute later with Zulema's clothes.

"Your hair's still wet" Zulema remarked as the blonde pulled it up into a ponytail.

"No shit, sherlock" Maca replied. "I'm aware of that"

Zulema scoffed. "Off you go then" she shooed Macarena out of the apartment and shut the door behind her.

Zulema eyed the cereal, wondering if she should wait for the blonde or eat it anyway. She decided to put it back in the cupboard, curious as to what the blonde would bring.

She lay down on the couch and fiddled with her hair as she waited for Macarena to come back. A while later, Zulema heard a key turn in the lock, and blonde walked in.

Zulema jumped off the couch, startled. "Where the fuck did you get my keys?" she yelled, snatching the keys away from Maca, who was laughing.

"I picked them up on my way out" she said, walking to the kitchen and putting a plastic bag on the counter. "Pancake mix, chocolate syrup, blueberries, and maple syrup" she counted as she pulled them out of the bag.

"What's all of this? I thought you were just getting pancake mix"

"I didn't know what you liked with your pancakes, since we never had those in prison, so I got as many toppings as I could think of" Macrena flashed Zulema a smile.

The brunette crossed her arms and watched silently as Macarena began to make pancakes for both of them.

"What's taking so long?" Zulema asked as she sat on the couch and turned on the tv.

"If you want sweet soup, you can eat it now. But if you want to have proper pancakes, you have to be patient" she replied, annoyed.

After 15 minutes Macarena sat down beside her and put everything on the coffee table. Zulema immediately reached for a plate and grabbed a pancake. "It's edible" she said, then began to add syrup and blueberries.

"What did you think? That I'm a lousy cook or that I would give you food poisoning?" Maca scoffed.

The brunette just shook her head and continued eating. When she was done, the blonde started laughing.

"Why are you laughing?" Zulema frowned.

"You ate a lot of food in very little time. That must mean it was good" Maca smirked.

"I was just hungry" 

"Sure, sure" Maca said with an ironic undertone.

Zulema rolled her eyes and pushed Maca onto the pillows next to her.

The blonde clung onto Zulema's shirt, pulling her down with her. The brunette squealed in surprise and fell onto Macarena. For a moment they only looked at each other. Macarena, who was lying under Zulema, turned red.

Zulema stood up and grinned. "You've turned into a tomato, rubia" she said as she cleared the table. The blonde got up and walked to the bathroom to splash cold water on her face.

"Come with me, we're leaving. Just don't ask. Grab your stuff and let's go" 

"I'll be right there" Maca called out, taking another deep breath before gathering her things and following Zulema.

They got in Zulema's car and drove away. Zulema drove them away from the city, and towards some open fields. Macarena wanted to ask where they were going, but Zulema had warned her to keep her mouth shut, and she was still flustered from having the brunette on top of her, and so close to her face.

"Here we are" Zulema stopped near the fence of a vast green field. She got out of the car and opened the trunk, revealing several weapons. Pistols, machine guns, shotguns, and an array of bullets.

Macarena got out as well, and as she looked at the field, she spotted several shooting targets and dummies. She followed Zulema as she entered the field, two guns in her hands.

"We are going to practice shooting" the brunette handed Maca a pistol.

"You think I forgot how to use a gun?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No" Zulema shrugged. "If you really did forget how to use a gun, you'd be a bigger fool than I thought" she said and looked at the target. "Show me what you got" she ordered.

Macarena loaded her gun and shot a few times. She missed the center of the target each time, only by a few inches.

"You can shoot, but it's no use if you can't hit those idiots right in the head" she said and positioned herself close behind Macarena, grabbing her hands and helping her aim.

Maca felt Zulema's warm breath on her neck. She blushed. She didn't know why she blushed, she was just glad Zulema couldn't see it.

When it got dark, Macarena got in the car while Zulema put everything back in the trunk. "I hope if we do this a few more times you can aim, rubia. Otherwise, you're not much use in the heist, and you're gonna get killed quickly if they come after us" Zulema said as she got in and started the car.

On the ride back, Zulema noticed Maca leaning against her. "Sit up straight, rubia" she said. No reaction.

Maca had fallen asleep and cuddled up on Zulema's arm. The brunette sighed, but let her sleep. When they were back in the city, she stopped at the side of the road and shook Maca slightly to wake her up. "Where do you live?" she asked her when she finally woke up.

Macarena told her her address. It was not that far away, so they arrived in a short time.

"Out you go, rubia" she said. Macarena nodded, half asleep, got out and went up to her apartment.

Zulema drove to her own apartment.

Macarena went straight to bed. But she couldn't fall asleep. "Why did I have to fall asleep in her car? And why didn't she push me away when I leaned against her arm?" she thought to herself. She had enjoyed the company of the brunette for some reason.

Zulema rubbed her arm, where she had felt the blonde's steady breath a while ago. She wanted her back here with her. Having the blonde hug her the night before, she had slept better than she had in years of loneliness. It surprised her.

She was about to go to sleep, only the blonde woman on her mind, when she heard a soft knock on the door. She got up to answer it, only to find Macarena already inside.

She jumped backwards. "Joder! How the FUCK did you get in this time?!" she screamed, knowing her keys were on the table, inside the apartment.

"I made a copy of your key when I was out getting breakfast" Maca smirked.

"What are you doing here?" Zulema crossed her arms and stared at Macarena.

There was a time when that stare would've burned holes in Macarena's face, but now she wasn't scared of Zulema. She felt something different about her now. She didn't know what it was, but she knew she wanted to be as close to the brunette as possible, at all times.

"I don't know...." Maca replied, staring right back at Zulema. "Are you gonna kick me out?" she asked.

Zulema shrugged. "I'm too tired" she turned around and walked back into her bedroom, leaving the door ajar.

Macarena pulled her hair up into a ponytail, put her things down on the coffee table, and wondered if the open door was a sort of invitation. She waited a bit then entered the bedroom, finding Zulema asleep on her side.

This time, Zulema felt the blonde climb into bed with her. She felt her pull the cover over both of them, and she felt her slip her arm around her waist, pulling her closer.

Maca nestled her head in the crook of the brunette's neck, falling asleep quicker than she had in ages.

Zulema let Macarena sleep like that, feeling comfortable in the blonde's arms. She quickly fell asleep too.

The next morning, Zulema woke up first as usual, gently got up without waking Maca, and watched her sleep. And by the time the blonde woke up, the brunette was in the kitchen, making breakfast.

"Cereal?" A messy-haired Maca asked as she walked into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes.

Zulema noticed she was wearing one of her oversized shirts, her bare legs on display. "Took more of my clothes, I see" she said as she took two plates out of the cupboard. "We're having omelettes today"

"Oh cool" Macarena yawned and walked to the couch outside.

Zulema put a plate in front of the blonde. "It's better than any omelette you've tasted" she sat down next to her, with another plate in her hand.

"Really?" Maca asked skeptically. She took a bite. "Mmm. It's good. What's your secret?"

"Spices" Zulema replied simply. "Eat up, we're meeting the team today"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a lOng chapter to make up for the first short one lmao


	3. Chapter 3

The whole team arrived an hour later. The only man on the team was tall and well built, with short dark hair and dark eyes. One of the women was a brunette with honey-colored eyes, her dark brown hair almost reaching her waist in a messy braid. The second woman had short, sandy blonde hair that hardly reached her shoulders, and her eyes were the color of soft wood. The third woman; Helena, wore her hair in a ponytail, with a cap on her head.

"Introduce yourselves" Zulema ordered after they had all taken a seat.

"I’m Omar Walid" the only guy flashed a charming smile at the ladies. "I'll be handling the fake paperwork"

"I’m Salma Nader. I can get any weapons you want" said the woman with the long braid.

"I’m Nyah Yasser" the woman with the short blonde hair smiled. "I love computers. I'll get into any system and play around with it"

"I'm Macarena" Maca laughed. "I have no idea what I'm gonna be doing"

Helena didn't get up to introduce herself. She sat with her arms crossed and looked at Zulema.

"Ah, we saved the best for last...." Zulema said. "Helena Martín, a cop" she gestured at Helena.

"Ooooh" the group collectively gasped.

"Now that everyone knows who's who, we can go on" Zulema brought out the bulletin board. "Nyah will deactivate the cameras, and me and Maca will go in and threaten an employee who will give us the answers" she started. "I will stay in the control room, and rubia will go into the studio, after Nyah adds her to the list of contestants-"

"I don't want to go on air" Maca interrupted.

"Excuse me?" Zulema glared at her.

"I want to stay in the control room" Macarena said.

The room was silent, tension filling every single inch of it as Zulema stared at Macarena. "Fine" she finally said, and went back to the board.

"Nyah will add me to the list of contestants, and Maca will stay in the control room. She'll tell me the answers through an earpiece, and I'll repeat them out loud. If everything goes well, we'll be 15 million euros richer, and we can go our separate ways. But if anything goes wrong, you all will be sitting in the audience, ready to shoot"

They all nodded, listening intently. 

"If it comes to shooting, shoot EVERYONE" she looked each of them in the eyes. "Nyah will turn off the cameras and the live transmission, we'll grab the money, and we'll get the fuck out of there. Any questions?" Zulema finished.

They all shook their heads. Zulema pushed the bulletin board back into the corner and pulled out a cigarette.

Maca got up and walked into the kitchen. She came back with glasses, beers, and a bottle of gin. "Drinks!" she called.

The whole team, excluding Zulema, gathered around Macarena and poured themselves some alcohol. 

"To us getting out of this alive!" they cheered. Zulema watched them out of the corner of her eye, her cigarette in her mouth. She decided to pour herself a glass of gin as well. This was her alcohol anyway.

Over the next 2 hours, the team drank, got to know each other, and even danced a bit. Zulema noticed Omar trying to get close to Macarena. She turned a blind eye, reminding herself that she had nothing to do with the blonde.

"So..." Helena sat down next to Zulema, a beer in her hand. "Quite a team you've got there" she took a sip from her beer.

"Yeah" Zulema replied, her eye still on Macarena and Omar.

"Do you think you can pull it off?" Helena took another sip from her beer and edged closer to the brunette.

Zulema didn't notice. Omar had started touching Maca's hair, and their faces were extremely close. She didn't like this at all. "Huh?" she asked Helena, not having paid attention to a word she said.

"What are you looking at?" Helena asked, looking in the direction that Zulema had been staring. "Ohh, you have a thing for the blonde" she smirked. "I should've known. You never let anyone alter your plans"

"No-" Zulema tried to argue, but failed. "I don't have a thing for rubia" she said stubbornly, looking the other way.

"Sure" Helena laughed. There was hardly any space between her and Zulema now. She slowly moved her fingers onto Zulema's thigh.

"You can do so much better than her" Helena whispered in her ear. With a soft squeeze on Zulema's thigh, she got up to talk to Nyah and Salma.

Zulema watched her walk away with a frown. She rubbed her thigh and looked back to where Omar was standing with Macarena.

Her frown deepened when she saw him whispering in the blonde's ear, his hand slithering down to grab her ass. Zulema looked away. She didn't want to see this.

"We're leaving" Salma and Nyah told Zulema. "If we drink any more, we won't be able to drive home" they laughed.

Zulema nodded at them, the frown not leaving her face.

"Are you okay?" Nyah asked, looking genuinely worried.

"I'm fine" Zulema replied, trying to shake it off.

Salma pulled Nyah towards the door. She took one last look at Zulema, sighed, and followed the other brunette outside.

Helena looked at Zulema. Her eyes were filled with frustration.

Zulema contemplated getting up and stopping whatever the fuck was happening between the blonde and Omar, but decided not to. Why was she mad? She has nothing to do with the blonde. It's not like she owns her. So why was she so frustrated?

Helena resumed her seat next to Zulema. "El sexo entre amigas fucks everything up" she whispered. "But we aren't amigas...."

Zulema's head snapped sideways, so she was face to face with the other brunette. In one quick movement, she bit her neck, satisfied at the gasp she got in response.

Helena slid her hand down Zulema's back, then moved it to her thighs.

Zulema bit harder into Helena's neck, her hands now moving to form a fist in her dark hair.

Just as Helena was about to slide her hand into Zulema's pants, the brunette pulled away.

"No" Zulema whispered. "I'm still not in the mood" she quickly planted a kiss on Helena's lips, then went into the kitchen to find a drink. Helena's eyes followed her in disbelief.

While Zulema poured herself some alcohol, she heard a few muffled moans. "What the-" she looked outside, finding that Helena had left, and Macarena and Omar were missing. Her bedroom door was closed.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" she slammed the cupboard shut, and poured extra gin in her glass.

When everything was silent, she felt under the last cupboard and pulled out the gun that was taped to it. She loaded it and silently walked out of the kitchen.

She slowly opened the bedroom door, her eyes quickly adjusting to the darkness. "Puta mierda, I'm gonna need a new fucking bed after all this bullshit" she whispered to herself when she saw the blonde asleep naked on the bed, next to Omar.

She hit the tall man on his head to wake him up. "Shhhh" she put her finger to her lips as she pointed the gun at him. "Get up. Now" she whispered, not wanting to wake Maca.

Omar dared not disobey. He quietly climbed out of bed, holding his hands up as a sign of peace.

"Get out" she whispered, louder this time.

He frantically nodded, looking fearfully at the gun in her hands. He pointed at his clothes in the corner, asking for permission to put them on.

"No" Zulema hissed. "Get the fuck out, now, or I swear to god I'll shoot you right here and now"

He pulled the bedroom door open and ran out, terrified of the brunette. He fumbled nervously with the doorknob as she watched him, gun still pointed in his direction. When he finally got the door open, he bolted outside, still naked. Zulema locked the door behind him.

She put the gun back where it was, and went into her bedroom, finding Macarena still asleep.

"Joder" Zulema huffed as she took out a shirt and gently put it on the sleeping blonde. She covered her, then she picked up the clothes in the corner.

She threw them out in her tiny balcony, then went to get a jug of gasoline. She poured it all over the clothes, took out her lighter, and set fire to them. She closed the sliding glass door so the smoke wouldn't get in, and watched the fire devour the clothes behind the glass, bit by bit.

She didn't sleep that night. After the fire had died down, she went into her bedroom and watched the blonde sleep for the rest of the night, with something different in her eyes; gentleness.

The next morning, Maca woke up alone, as usual. She had no recollection of the previous night's events. She was worried she'd done something stupid.

She stepped into the shower, hoping to wash away her worries. She heard a few pans against the stove, then silence. She went out to find a few pancakes on a plate on the coffee table, and Zulema sitting outside, in the balcony.

She had found a denim skirt in Zulema's closet, so she wore that along with the shirt she had left at her apartment 2 days ago, when she had first stayed the night.

She took the plate of pancakes and a chair then joined Zulema in the balcony. "What are you reading?" she asked as she began to cut up her pancakes.

Zulema didn't reply. Her eyes were glued to the book in her hands.

Macarena tried to spot the title on the cover, but it was written in Arabic.

Zulema stopped reading. "Sadaq Allah al Atheem" she said as she closed the book and looked at Maca. "Quran" she finally replied.

"Oh?" the blonde took a bite from her pancakes. "What does 'sadaq Allah al Atheem' mean?" she asked, stuttering as she tried to pronounce what the brunette had just said.

"It means 'God the greatest has spoken the truth'" Zulema replied, looking up at the sky.

Macarena listened to the brunette, intrigued. It was one of the only times she had answered her questions without sarcasm.

"Whenever you finish a sura; or a chapter," Zulema clarified, "you say sadaq Allah al Atheem"

"I didn't know that" Maca replied.

"Of course you didn't" Zulema turned back to the blonde. "It's Friday. Fridays for us are like Sundays for you. But you go to church, and we pray and read Quran"

Zulema got up to put the Quran back, leaving Macarena alone in the balcony. She looked to the ground.

"Hey, is that ash?" she asked Zulema when she came back.

Zulema brushed it away with her boots. "No. Just dust" she had brought a mug of coffee with her. She resumed her seat and stared at the sky while she drank her coffee as the blonde watched her, surprised by how peaceful she looked.

*One Month Later*

It was the day before the robbery was supposed to take place, and the whole team met up at Macarena's apartment.

It had become the customary meeting place, as Zulema didn't want anyone 'messing up' her own apartment again. Maca gladly hosted the team, serving them drinks and talking with them as Zulema sat in the corner and smoked, sometimes accompanied by Helena.

Using 'the team being at her apartment' as an excuse, Macarena continued to sleep over at Zulema's apartment. The brunette didn't need an excuse to let the blonde sleep with her, because as much as she hated to admit it, she enjoyed it. Gradually, most of Maca's clothes made it to Zulema's apartment, and before long, she had technically moved in with the brunette.

Zulema had replaced her bed, and burnt the old one. When Macarena asked her why, she didn't reply. She just stood next to the blonde and watched the flames devour the bed just as they did the clothes a few days before.

The pair had also been practicing shooting, with Zulema always behind Macarena, her hips pressed up against her back, her breath hot on her neck as she spoke, and her arms guiding the blonde's own as she shot. It was one of the only times they felt pure bliss, in each other's company, with guns, they felt at home.

Omar had avoided Zulema for a while, but, a week later, she had gone up to him, slapped him on the back, and said "no hard feelings" then nodded at him intently. He nodded back and offered her his drink, which she gladly took.

Now the whole team was at Maca's apartment, finalizing their plans for the next day. After they had gone over the plan for the hundredth time, Zulema let them go, warning them not to drink or they would wake up hungover, and their plans would be foiled. Salma and Nyah whined until Macarena let them sleep at her apartment, and Helena decided to stay with them, preferring not to be alone that night.

Macarena drove home with Zulema, leaving the three women at her own apartment. Zulema was distracted for the first time in her life as she drove, one eye on the road, and the other on the blonde humming along to music next to her. She finally knew what she wanted.

She didn't waste a second after the door was shut behind them; she dropped her keys and pinned Macarena to the wall, their faces only inches apart.

"Que coño haces?!" Maca yelled as she attempted to push the brunette away.

"Tranquila, rubia" Zulema breathed onto her neck, both hands pinning the blonde's own to the wall, ignoring her futile attempts to push her away.

She slowly moved her face along Macarena's neck, her hot breath tickling the blonde. Then she stopped- and bit down hard.

Maca gasped and tried to move her hands, but the brunette squeezed her wrists tightly, making sure they didn't leave the wall.

Zulema left a trail of soft kisses down Macarena's neck, then she let go of the blonde's hands, slipping one of her hands under Maca's shirt, her nails trailing up her abdomen.

The blonde's mouth fell open, her head thrown back, giving the brunette easy access to her neck as she continued kissing it. She didn't know she needed this. Until now. Her hand formed a fist in the dark hair in front of her, and she felt her body tense up with every movement Zulema made under her shirt.

Zulema stopped at Macarena's breast, gently cupping it and finally looking the blonde in the eyes.

Maca saw something there that she had never seen before- gentleness. No ulterior motives, no wicked glint- just gentleness. She didn't have a chance to continue staring into the pair of eyes in front of her as she felt Zulema's fingers brush against her nipple, her eyes closing once again.

Her breath hitched as she felt Zulema's other hand tug at her jeans. Just feeling the brunette's touch there, so near to the heat piling up between her thighs- she groaned, grabbing Zulema's hips and pulling her closer, binding them together.

The brunette unbuttoned her jeans and slid her hand into Maca's underwear, swiftly making her way down between her thighs. Sparing no time, she slid two fingers inside her.

The blonde bit onto Zulema's shoulder, muffling her scream as the brunette began to thrust her fingers inside her, quickening the pace with every passing second.

Macarena rested her cheek on the brunette's chest, her hands on her lower back, pulling her closer as her hips rocked with Zulema's every thrust.

She felt herself getting closer and closer to the edge as the brunette fucked her senseless.

Zulema pulled her other hand away from the blonde's chest just as Macarena stopped rocking her hips and pulled Zulema even closer, letting out a deep moan.

Macarena couldn't bring herself to look directly into the brunette's eyes as she rode out her orgasm, her mind becoming foggy.

Zulema finally pulled out her fingers, cleaning them on the back of her pants before she curled her arm around Macarena's waist to support her. She slowly let the breathless blonde slide to the floor then left her and went to her bedroom.

A few minutes pass as Macarena takes her breath, slowly feeling her soul returning to her body. She looks to the bedroom, finding the door closed. She takes another deep breath then gets up. With a few quick strides she was at the door. She wondered what the brunette's intentions were- but didn't give it another thought before pushing the door open.

Zulema looked up from her pillow, only to find the blonde already straddling her. "My turn" she said as she lowered her head, her tongue immediately finding the brunette's nipples under the thin layer of fabric. She swirled it around them, feeling Zulema squirm under her touch.

Her hand slowly trailed down Zulema's toned stomach, and finally curved down between her thighs with no obstruction thanks to Zulema's choice of clothing; an oversized shirt.

She continued playing with the brunette's now hardened nipples with her tongue as her fingers found their way under her panties, and her other hand pulled the shirt off Zulema, who complied.

The brunette's back arched and she stopped breathing when the blonde slid a finger inside her, her hands flying up to pull her closer. She grabbed onto her back with her nails, her hips grinding against Maca's finger as she thrust it in, faster than the brunette had done to her.

The brunette feels her senses leave her as the blonde continues to fuck her. Suddenly, her back arches even farther and she lets out a long groan as she melts all over the blonde's hand. She immediately brings her arm over her face to cover it up as it starts to go red as she tries to take her breath.

Macarena got off the brunette with a smirk on her face, leaving her alone for a bit.

The next morning, the blonde woke up before Zulema for the first time. She was hugging her as usual, but this time, the brunette lay on her stomach, shirtless, her head facing Macarena.

She gently moved her hand away from her, careful not to wake her up. She looked at her for a few seconds, the previous night's memories rushing back to her. It made her smile. She watched Zulema for a little bit more, not believing what had happened between them, then she got up to take a shower. Today was the heist. Nothing could distract them, or Zulema would murder her.

She brushed her hair and pulled on her jeans and a light tshirt, then walked back over to the bed, where Zulema was still sleeping. She hesitated a bit then traced her finger along the brunette's bare back, following her spine until she reached the edge of the sheets covering her lower back.

Zulema's head shot up the slight feeling of nails on her back, and she turned around to find a pair of green eyes watching her. She slightly relaxed and put her head back down on the pillow, recalling what they had done the night before. She buried her face in the pillow as she remembered having the blonde on top of her- having lost control.

She turned to the other side and, realizing she was shirtless, she pulled the cover higher.

"I'll whip up some breakfast" Macarena nodded and left the bedroom.

Zulema couldn't help but smile when the blonde finally left the room. She had enjoyed herself last night, no matter how much she tried to convince herself otherwise. She pulled off the cover, looking around for her shirt, finding it still on the floor. She picked it up, threw it in the laundry, and hopped into the shower, her heart feeling full for the first time.

By the time she was out of the shower, Zulema had shaken it all off and put her serious face back on, prepared for the heist. Before she could put her clothes on, her phone rang. It was Nyah. Zulema frowned and picked up.

"We have a slight problem" Nyah said nervously.

"What happened?" Zulema asked, annoyed.

"Nothing happened.... it's just that they announced that all contestants must come in formal attire. There's a dress code that was sent by email to all the confirmed contestants"

"Joder" Zulema whispered. 

"What's wrong?" Macarena walked in, seeing Zulema's frustrated expression and realizing that she was standing in just her underwear.

"Do you happen to own any-" Zulema gagged at thought, then finished her sentence "ugh, dresses? Nyah found out that all contestants have to come with formal attire" she rolled her eyes and blamed herself for not being prepared well enough.

"Sure...." the blonde replied with a smile as she pictured the brunette in an evening gown. She took the phone from Zulema's hand. "Open the closet and pull out all the old dresses.... we'll be there in a few minutes" she smirked, then hung up.

Zulema rolled her eyes as she pulled on another one of her mesh tops. "Now I have to try on dresses too? Fucking hell"

"It'll be fun" Macarena promised. She brought Zulema a plate of toast and a mug of coffee, then tapped her wrist to remind the brunette that they didn't have much time.

After a few minutes, they were in the car, on their way to the blonde's apartment.

Nyah and Salma were in awe. Macarena had a beautiful collection of dresses, just sitting there in the closet, gaining dust. Knowing the blonde wouldn't refuse, they asked her if they could borrow a few, and started picking dresses out for themselves. Even Helena decided to borrow one.

"I didn't know you owned every prom dress ever made" Zulema said as she looked through the colorful gowns, not liking any of them one bit.

"These aren't prom dresses" Macarena shot back, looking through the dresses as well, trying to find something Zulema wouldn't hate.

She eventually picked out a few black dresses and forced Zulema to try them on.

The first one was strapless, with several gemstones on the waist line. Zulema was screaming "GET IT OFF" as they put it on her. Nope. Not this one.

The second one was short and only covered one shoulder, and had a lot of rhinestones on the top. Zulema pretended to suffocate as they put it on her, just to save herself the horror of being put in a short dress.

The last dress was long, with a slit down the side, and a back that was completely open except for a few criss-cross straps. Zulema didn't complain as they pulled it over her head, adjusted it, and finally let her look in the mirror.

The dress hugged the brunette's curves, the open back revealed her back muscles, and the slit showed off her bare leg. She felt uncomfortable in it, but she didn't absolutely hate it.

"It's this one" the four women nodded triumphantly behind Zulema.

"What the fuck?!" Zulema suddenly yelled as Macarena threw a pair of black heels at her.

"Put these on. Girls, let's get the makeup"

"Oh no" Zulema whispered as the four women took out makeup and curling irons. "Get the fuck away from me" she pulled out her gun, pointing it at them.

The women laughed, not afraid of Zulema, but respecting her nevertheless. Maca threw a bag of makeup at Zulema, then she accompanied the three other women outside, leaving the brunette alone.

Zulema groaned as she turned back to the mirror. She pulled out the eyeliner and began to grudgingly apply it.

"Oooooooh" all four women swooned when Zulema finally came out of the bedroom, her heels clacking against the wooden floor. "Vamos, ladies" she said, picking up her keys and opening the door, strutting outside.

"Did you see her legs though" Nyah whispered as they all left.

"Don't let the dress fool you. She's still a criminal" Salma laughed.

"But that's why we're with her" Helena reminded them, not keeping her eyes off Zulema, who was several steps ahead of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're really sorry we took so long to upload it but THE HEIST ITSELF IS FINALLY HERE. along with a lil flashback <3

The women met Omar in the parking lot of the studio where the game show was shot.

"The papers" he handed Zulema 3 passports, a few IDs, a driving license, and few other documents. Zulema looked through them and nodded.

"Nyah, you'll stay in the car, you have your laptop with you, and you'll monitor the cameras. Turn them off now" she reminded her.

"Salma and Omar, you'll be in the audience with weapons, prepared for anything. Maca and I will take two pistols each" she pulled out her own gun then opened the trunk to reveal even more weapons than there had been before. She handed Macarena two pistols, took another one herself, and gestured to the rest of the team to pick up their weapons.

"Helena, you'll be in the driver's seat, ready to go when we get out"

"You don't have to remind me" Helena rolled her eyes as she took a pistol herself.

"Venga! What are you waiting for?" Zulema clapped and they all stopped staring at her and began to take their positions.

Omar and Salma went in through the guest entrance, while Zulema and Macrena snuck in through the authorized personnel door. It was hard to sneak in the heels she was wearing, but Macarena kept pushing Zulema forward, so she really had no choice.

"Okay motherfuckers, everyone hands in the air" Zulema said as she walked in, two guns in her hands, and Maca following close behind.

The three people sitting in front of computers looked horrified.

"Alright, one of you come here, the rest go to the blonde" Zulema said she sat herself down on a small rolling chair, the dress she was wearing not making it easy for her.

A small woman wearing dark glasses fearfully trudged over to Zulema, her hands still in the air. The brunette pushed her arms down. "I'm not gonna hurt you if you do what I say" she said. "I want a list of all the questions along with their answers. Now"

The woman frantically nodded, turning to face the computer in front of her. She typed in a few things, then hit print. Zulema pulled out the list, checked it, then gave the woman a sinister smile. "Good girl" she lowered her gun.

On the other side of the room, Macarena had asked the two other employees to show her around the control room, so she could see how it all worked. She would turn down all the lights if things went downhill, and Nyah would turn off all the cameras afterwards. They were prepared.

Zulema kicked off her heels and rested her back on the high desk where the computers where. It was still 30 minutes till showtime. She herded all three employees into a corner and warned them to stay silent, still pointing her gun at them. She began to play loud music so they wouldn't hear her and Macarena speaking.

Macarena took another rolling chair and started rolling across the room, hitting the walls on each side.

"Stop. Your bullshit's given me a headache" Zulema said, bringing her hand up to her head.

The blonde stopped. "Can I ask you something?"

"It better not be stupid or I will kick you out and force you into the car with Nyah and Helena"

Maca laughed, finding it hard to take the brunette seriously in the long dress she wore. "Why Helena? Surely there were other cops who were willing to help you for this amount of money"

Zulema stayed silent. There was a lot to unpack here.

*A Few Months Before*

The only reason Zulema was out of prison was Helena. She was surprised when she visited her one day at Cruz Del Norte, with a smile on her face.

She convinced Zulema to collaborate with the police in exchange for her freedom, for real this time. She got Zulema the job at the car wash, and she talked to the judges and made sure that Zulema's apartment wasn't monitored. She moved mountains for her.

"But why? Why did you do all this?" Zulema asked her one time when she met up with her as required per month.

"I missed seeing you. Having my eyelids stapled open. Seeing all the trouble you got yourself into" she had replied.

That was when Zulema pitched the idea of the heist to her. She needed someone on the police force, to gather more information on her target and to cover up any clues as to what she was planning, and she couldn't think of anyone better.

"I'll do it on one condition" Helena had said, a smirk spreading on her face. "You'll go on a date with me"

"Excuse me?" Zulema had looked her up and down and scoffed. "No way"

"Well, guess you'll have to find someone else then"

"Fine" Zulema shrugged and walked off. A few days later, she was back at Helena's door.

"You police officers really are shitty people" she said. "Fine. I'll go on a date with you. But we aren't having a romantic dinner with candles or staring at the stars in the sky together"

Helena had just laughed. She knew she had no chance with the brunette, but she liked being around her. She didn't mind that she had stapled her eyelids or that she had split her head open. That was minor stuff. She was going to help her on this heist, no matter what it cost her.

Back at the control room, Zulema had told Macarena the whole story. The blonde felt a tinge of jealousy, but just laughed it off.

"So you're going on a date? With Helena?" she started giggling, almost falling backwards from her chair.

Zulema rolled her eyes. "Five minutes till showtime" she said as she got up and pulled her heels back on. "Oh! I almost forgot. Be discreet when you take Yara's stuff. I haven't told the others that we're taking more than just 15 million. The less people who know, the more we get to keep"

Macarena nodded, still laughing. She picked up the paper with the questions and answers and read it over.

Zulema straightened her dress, checked her makeup, and walked to the main stage, putting on her earpiece.

Zulema's eardrums almost exploded when the blonde decided to loudly cough into the mic. "WHAT THE FUCK" she yelled, gaining everyone's attention. She apologized to the other contestants around her, then proceeded to swear at the blonde under her breath.

Macarena just laughed at the brunette's reaction, pulling up the paper and sitting up straight, ready to play.

Zulema took her seat as the lights shifted to one spot in the corner. A woman with lavender hair stepped out of the darkness with a smile and a mic in her hand. It was Yara Nasser.

She introduced herself and the show, then began to introduce the contestants, looking at a teleprompter behind the camera.

"And finally, we have Thea Tawfeek" she said, gesturing at Zulema.

Maca snorted. "Thea? What kind of name is that?"

"Cállate, rubia" Zulema whispered, regretting leaving the blonde in the control room.

The show finally began. Yara sat in front of the contestants, prepared to ask the questions.

"What is the name of the fear of the number 13?" was the first question.

"Triskaedekaphobia" Macrena whispered. "Tris-kay-dick-a-phobia" she slowly repeated it so the brunette could pronounce it.

"Well, it's something- your dick- a- phobia" Zulema said.

The audience laughed and the contestants stared at her. The was a loud clap through the earpiece as Macarena slapped her forehead.

The next question was "what islands are home to the Blue-footed Boobies?"

"The Galapagos Islands" Maca said lound and clear.

Zulema didn't hear her over her own laughter. "bOobiEs" she clutched her stomach as she continued to laugh.

The host and other contestants gave her weird looks.

"In which city could you find Bondi beach?" was the next question.

"Sydney" Macarena yelled into the mic.

"Kidney" Zulema repeated with a proud nod.

"In what year was DNA first isolated?" Yara continued.

Macarena sighed. "1869" she said.

"69" Zulema said as she began to wheeze, laughing loudly.

Yara moved her chair away from Zulema, then continued. "Name the seventh planet from the sun"

"Uranus" Maca said, knowing Zulema would ruin it as well.

"Your-anus" Zulema smiled.

"What is Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia the fear of?" the host looked at the other contestants, begging them to answer instead of Zulema.

"The fear of-" Macarena began, but was cut off by Zulema completely ignoring her.

"Is that some sort of oral keyboard spam- WAIT! It's the fear of hippos" she leaned back proudly.

"You absolute IDIOT" Maca said, giving up. She signalled to the others then shut off the lights. Nyah disabled the cameras and turned off the live transmission. Salma and Omar shot everyone once the lights were back on, and Zulema grabbed the money, which was kept in a huge gift box in the corner.

Macarena left the control room and began to search an unconscious Yara, who was shot only once on her shoulder, looking for something specific. Bingo. A wallet.

They all darted out and hopped in the car as Helena drove away from the studio, everyone making sure they hadn't forgotten anything that could be used as evidence against them.

Fed up with the dress, Zulema ripped it off and dug around the compartments of the car until she came across another one of her mesh tops and a pair of black shorts.

"You keep clothes here?" Macarena asked, looking into a few other compartments for more clothing items.

"Just these two in case of an emergency like this one" she said as she pulled the shirt on.

Omar looked away, but the women all stared at Zulema. "Eyes on the road, Helena" she said as she noticed the other brunette watching her in the rearview mirror as she pulled on her boots, which were in the car as well.

They drove to the field where Macarena and Zulema had practiced shooting. There were two cars parked there, waiting for them.

Zulema took out the gift box and began to count the money. Exactly 15 million. She split it into 6 piles of 2.5 million, throwing a pile to each member of the team. "Now I don't want to see any of your pretty little faces ever again" she nodded at each of them.

Omar took the large Jeep they had all escaped in after Zulema had taken all the weapons and clothes stashed in the compartments, while Salma and Nyah took a small red Volkswagen.

That left Zulema, Maca, and Helena with a small bronze Mercedes. "Vamos" Zulema said as she threw everything in the trunk and sat in the driver's seat. Helena got in the passenger seat and Macarena decided to lay down in the backseat, eyeing the two women up front.

Zulema opened up the wallet, finding, to her delight, a few hundred euros in cash and several credit cards.

She drove over to the nearest bank, left Maca and Helena in the car, and used the credit cards to access Yara's bank account. Her PIN was scribbled on a piece of paper inside the wallet, among some other doodles. Zulema transferred 99 million euros to the bank account Omar had created for her overseas. She would've taken more, but the machine wouldn't allow her to.

"You're both now 33 million euros richer" she smiled at the women as she resumed her seat in front of the wheel. "We'll make stops at each of your apartments. Take only the necessities, and leave no evidence behind. Got it?"

Both women nodded. Zulema had only gone a few miles when her phone began to ring. It was Omar.

"What do you want?" she said as she turned on the speaker.

"They're onto us!" he yelled. Gunshots could be heard in the distance. "They're following the car- they're after ME" he screamed.

"Joder" Zulema looked at Helena. "Omar, I need you to stay calm-"

More gunshots could be heard, but this time, they were closer. Omar didn't respond.

"Shit" Zulema huffed. She hung up, quickly reset her phone in a few taps, then threw it out of the window. "You two, do the same. Right now" she told them.

"Aren't we gonna warn Nyah and Salma?" Macarena asked as she did what she was told.

"Only God can help them now" Zulema replied, stepping on the gas even harder.

Two more phones were thrown out of the windows. They arrived at Helena's apartment soon after. She went up, smashed her laptop to pieces, brought a few clothes and books, stashed them in the trunk, and resumed her seat up front.

Next, they reached Maca's apartment. She took her time, folding her remaining clothes and taking out a few snacks and stashing them in a small suitcase. 30 minutes later, she was in the car, being yelled at by Zulema.

"Rubia, come with me" Zulema said when they finally arrived at her apartment.

Macarena got out and followed the brunette upstairs. Zulema took a few of her hoodies, oversized shirts, and cargo pants, then she reached under her bed and pulled out a gun, taking that with her as well. She then opened the cabinet in the bathroom and pulled out the first aid kit and a small bag that had tablets, pills, and ointments.

The blonde took her own clothes and looked through the cupboards for any remaining food they could take. Within a few minutes, they rejoined Helena in the car. It was gonna be a long drive.

After about an hour on the road, Macarena finally cut the silence. "Can we stop at McDonald's? I'm hungry"

"What are you, five?" Zulema asked, her eyes on the empty road ahead of her.

"You didn't say that when I was fucking you last night-"

"FINE WE'LL STOP AT MCDONALD'S" Zulema tried to drown the blonde's voice out.

Helena looked between the two of them with a smirk. "You two fucked? Who started it?" she asked, her smile growing wider.

Zulema hit her head on the glass next to her as Macarena and Helena began to discuss everything. She quickly pulled into the McDonald's drive through. "WE'RE HERE" she yelled in an attempt to shut them up.

They had the biggest smiles on their faces as they ordered, while Zulema just tried to keep her face from going red. They paid with a €100 bill from Yara's wallet, then they left, not wanting to stay in the same place for too long.

Zulema stayed on the road until it began to get dark. They were in the middle of a forest. There weren't any hotels or places they could stay. Zulema sighed and took a turn into the forest, away from the road.

She parked under a few trees, then took her time in covering up the trails the car had made. Helena and Macarena got out of the car and looked around.

"Go get some sticks for a fire" Zulema ordered as she began to pick up a few sticks herself.

"We're staying here?" Macarena asked, scrunching up her nose.

"I'm sorry we couldn't find a five-star hotel in the middle of the forest, rubia. You'll have to settle for this for tonight"

Helena threw a pile of logs and sticks on the floor. "Zulema, your lighter" she called to the brunette.

She threw the lighter at her, leaving her own pile of sticks on the ground.

Soon enough, they had a fire going. All three of them sat around it, silently watching the flames.

Helena opened the trunk of the car and pulled out a book. She cuddled up to Zulema, who was sitting at the foot of a tree, and began to read.

Macarena noticed this and scooted over to them, hooking her arm with Zulema's, and resting her head on her shoulder.

Zulema didn't know how to react to the two women cuddling up to her, but she decided not to push them away. She hugged her bare knees close to her, leaning on them and shutting her eyes.

The next morning, Zulema woke up to the feeling of something brushing against her nose. Her eyes snapped open, finding the blonde just millimeters away from her face, their noses touching. "Joder!" Zulema yelled, waking up the blonde up.

The blonde screamed and jumped forward, her forehead hitting the brunette's. "SHIT" they both yelled, rubbing their foreheads in pain.

Helena looked up from the trunk of the car, where she was digging around for food. "Good morning, lovebirds" she laughed.

"You're the one who's going on a date with her" Maca yawned as she rubbed her eyes and looked around.

Zulema got up, took out a small bottle of water, and splashed some water on her face. She then took a sip from the bottle and splashed the rest in Macarena's face.

"I'm gonna kill you" the blonde spat the water out and jumped onto the brunette's back.

Zulema didn't react, and walked over to Helena with Macarena still clinging onto her back, her legs now wrapped around her waist, and her arms around her neck.

"Y'all married now?" Helena laughed, looking between the two.

"Get down, rubia" Zulema said as she took a look through the trunk of the car herself. There was no food. "How did you already finish all the food?" she asked as she slammed the trunk closed.

"There were only several bags of chips and your dumb box of cereal" Maca rolled her eyes.

"Well then where's my dumb box of cereal?" Zulema asked in response, crossing her arms.

"I may or may not have eaten it" Helena shrugged.

"Well then I hope you two know how to hunt" Zulema said with an exasperated sigh.

She took out her gun and began to go deeper into the forest, looking for anything edible.

An hour later, Zulema heard a few screams. She walked further, only to find Helena and Macarena playing in a little stream, splashing water at each other.

"Did you at least get any fish?" she asked as she put down the two birds she had caught.

Helena shook her head, looking delightfully at the small birds they would be having for breakfast.

Maca stopped smiling. She didn't look too well. Her face grew pale as got out of the water, clutching her stomach.

Zulema watched her with a frown. She gave Helena the birds then caught up with the blonde, who had started throwing up.

"Maca, you've been nauseous all week" she huffed as she gently rubbed the blonde's back and pulled her hair out of her face. It was uncharacteristic of Zulema to do anything gently, but she watched the blonde with a worried expression.

Macarena leaned back into Zulema's touch, resting her head on her chest. "I don't feel like eating" she said.

"What about some waffles?" Zulema asked, knowing that would give Maca her appetite back.

"Where are we gonna get waffles?" the blonde was skeptical, but her eyes lit up.

The brunette helped Macarena up. "You'll see" she said. "Helena, we're leaving"

Helena frowned. She had been looking forward to trying out wild birds.

They all got in the car, making sure they hadn't left anything behind.

"Zule? Can you sit back here with me?" Maca asked, giving the brunette her best puppy dog eyes.

Zulema groaned and left the driver's seat, gesturing to Helena to take her place. As she sat next to the window, the blonde lay down and put her head on her lap, falling asleep again. Zulema's eyes softened, but her expression stayed neutral.

"So why is blondie acting like a baby?" Helena asked after they'd driven for a few miles.

"She's been sick the whole week" Zulema replied, still looking out the window.

"I'm guessing we're headed to the waffle guy at the next gas station?"

"Yep. Waffles are the only thing that'll revive her appetite"

"I've thought about it...." Helena paused for a bit. "You don't have to go on a date with me" she laughed.

"Why? What's changed?" Zulema's attention was with Helena now.

"You and Maca are adorable. I don't want to come between that. Besides, I was just teasing you"

Zulema raised her eyebrows and shook her head, but didn't respond. She looked back out the window. An unpleasant memory played in her head- Macarena and Omar, on her bed, naked. "Shit" she whispered, looking at the head of blonde hair on her lap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 5 will hopefully be here really soon, until then, we'd really appreciate your comments, feedback, and suggestions :)


	5. Chapter 5

They parked at the nearest gas station and ordered some waffles. Zulema made sure they added all Maca's favorite toppings.

The blonde had gone to the pharmacy, her mind rushing with thoughts. She had only felt like this before one time- when she was pregnant in Cruz del Sur. She bought two pregnancy tests, then headed to the bathroom, her heart pounding.

"So you got the blonde pregnant?" Helena laughed as she and Zulema waited for Macarena in the car.

"What?" Zulema said, her mind elsewhere.

"I saw her buy those pregnancy tests. Who's the father?"

"We don't even know if she's pregnant" the brunette rolled her eyes, but her voice was laced with worry.

Macarena finally came back, her face flushed.

She got in the car and silently opened her box of waffles. Helena started the car and drove away from the gas station as the blonde and brunette opened their food in the backseat.

Once Zulema was done with her waffles, she switched places with Helena.

"Are you okay?" Helena finally asked the blonde, who burst into tears.

She looked at Zulema, who immediately stopped on the side of the deserted road.

The brunette left the driver's seat and sat next to the blonde in the backseat, sandwiching her between herself and Helena.

"I'm pregnant" Maca wiped her tears away, embarrassed.

"Are you sure?" Zulema asked.

"Called it" Helena said before she felt Zulema flick her from behind Macarena's neck. "Ow!" she whispered.

"Two tests said yes" the blonde replied, resting her head on Zulema's shoulder. "I haven't slept with anyone in ages. I have no idea who the father is"

The brunette leaned her head on the blonde's and rubbed her back. She gestured to Helena to take the wheel.

Helena huffed. "It's gonna be okay" she smiled at Maca, then sat in front of the wheel and stepped on the gas.

"It's Omar" Zulema finally whispered.

"What?" Macarena's eyebrows shot up.

"He's the father" the older woman said with a frown.

"How-" Maca began, but Zulema stopped her.

"The first night we met the team, you were drunk. Really drunk"

"So?" the blonde asked. "I always get drunk" she tried to sound careless but she was shaking, and couldn't do anything about it.

"You two hooked up, Maca" Zulema said.

"AND YOU DIDN'T THINK TO TELL ME SOONER?" Maca yelled at the older woman and moved away from her. Her heart was pounding. She was scared. This baby had no father.

She asked Helena to stop the car, then got out and sat at the foot of a tree on the side of the road, taking her breath and organizing her thoughts.

After a few minutes, Helena pushed Zulema out of the car, and the older woman awkwardly walked up to Macarena, who immediately looked up at her.

"I thought it was stupid. I didn't think it was something worth telling. That's why I didn't tell you before" she said, sincerity clear in her voice for the first time in her life.

"Joder" Macarena whispered. A few tears rolled down her cheek, and, without thinking, she wrapped her arms around the brunette, hugging her tight.

Usually, Zulema would have pushed the blonde away, but she knew how fragile she was, and, even though she would rather die than admit it, she needed that hug too.

*Several Hours Later*

It was a very long drive, but they finally reached their destination; the Strait of Gibraltar.

It was the closet spot between Morocco and Spain. It was usually heavily guarded, but today was the only day of the year the guards on the Spanish coast had off.

Helena stopped the car. Macarena looked up, finding the sea in front of her. "How are we gonna get past this?" she asked as she straightened her clothes.

Zulema pulled out a box that had been in the trunk. An inflatable boat.

"You have an inflatable boat? Just lying there in the trunk?" the blonde asked.

"Why am I not surprised" Helena laughed.

"Help me inflate this piece of shit instead of being useless little shits yourselves" the brunette said as she pulled it out. "All clothes and guns go in Maca's suitcase. We aren't taking any more than that" she added.

Helena helped Zulema inflate the boat while Macarena tried to fold as much clothes as she could so they could fit into the small suitcase she had brought.

A few minutes later, Helena, Macarena, and the suitcase were on the boat, being pushed into the water by Zulema. The sun was beginning to set. The darkness would be the perfect cover, and they would slip into Morocco, unnoticed.

Zulema hopped into the boat once it was in the water, and she began to empty her boots of the water that had pooled in them.

She waited until the sun had completely set, then threw two plastic oars at Helena and Macarena. She took the third oar herself, and they began to row, headed for the mountainous landscape up ahead.

After a few minutes of rowing, the small boat hit the shore on the other side. They looked around for guards. There were two guards talking by the water behind a small hill, not too far from the three women.

The hill, combined with the darkness, perfectly hid the women as they got off the boat. They were about to begin their trudge up the mountains when Zulema stopped. "I feel like we forgot something" she looked back, finding the suitcase, still in the boat, drifting away.

"Joder" she whispered as she ran after it, getting drenched in the process.

She threw the suitcase at Helena and shivered as she tried her best to dry her clothes.

Macarena took off her leather jacket and put it on the brunette, then began to walk up the small mountain ahead of them.

"Are we spending the night in the mountains this time?" the blonde asked when they had walked for a while.

"It's too dangerous" Zulema replied without stopping. "You saw the guards on the coast. There could be guards here as well. We have to get to the small town on the other side. We can rest there"

"Chicas, I see lights!" Helena called from up ahead.

They caught up with her and looked down, finding small lights at the foot of the mountain. They sped down, and were welcomed by the town people.

Zulema spoke to them in Arabic while Maca and Helena looked around, overwhelmed by the brightness and decorations.

An old woman invited them in, offered them tea, and gave them a small room, all with a smile, not asking for anything in return.

"Shokran" Zulema smiled back at her, and tried to give her a €50 bill, but the woman refused to take it. She nodded at Zulema and shut the door behind her, leaving the three women alone in the room along with two beds, and a mattress on the floor.

"Shokran means thank you, right?" Maca asked as she sat on one of the beds.

"I'm not your Arabic teacher, rubia" Zulema playfully rolled her eyes. "But yes. It means thank you" she said as she threw herself on the mattress.

"Why'd the woman refuse to take the money?" Helena set the suitcase aside and lay down on the other bed.

"That's the thing about Arabs. Some gladly take bribes, while others have dignity and are unbelievably generous, no matter how little they have" Zulema pulled off her boots, then got up and opened the suitcase.

She was glad she'd taken some ointments and the first aid kit with her. Her exposed legs were scratched, her knees were scraped, and there were several blisters and bruises on her thighs. She regretted ever wearing shorts.

Helena's jeans were ripped and one of her knees was bleeding, while Macarena only had a few blisters on her ankles.

Zulema applied antiseptic ointment to all her cuts, then began to massage her thighs, which had more than a few blisters. "What are you looking at?" she asked the two women when she realized they were staring at her.

"Nothing" they said in unison, continuing to stare. Helena took the antiseptic ointment and put it on her knee, then held a small tissue on it to stop the bleeding, while Macarena just put band aids on her blisters.

"So what did you tell the townspeople?" Helena asked once they had all changed and began to settle in to sleep.

"I told them we were hiking in the mountains, and I happened to fall into the sea and drench my clothes. I said we didn't have a place to stay for the night, and I asked if they could host us. Just for tonight"

"What's the old woman's name?" Maca asked, pulling her cover closer to her as she felt the evening breeze through the window.

"Amira. She's a widow. Her daughter lives next door with her husband, but she lives alone. She said she would love to have some company"

"Her name is so pretty. What does it mean?" the blonde asked, staring at the ceiling.

"Amira means princess" Zulema replied. "Now go to sleep, rubia. You need rest"

The next morning, Helena woke up first. She noticed Maca's bed was empty, and, looking down, she found her on the mattress on the floor, hugging the brunette from behind. She laughed, then pulled a cover over them.

Still in the dark fabric pajamas and socks she slept in, Helena crept outside. Amira was already awake, making breakfast in the kitchen. "Sabah el kheir" she smiled when she saw Helena.

The other brunette smiled back, not knowing what to say in response.

"Sabah el nour" Zulema's voice sounded from behind her. She had woken up to the sound of the door shutting, and had quickly pulled her shorts from the day before on, under the large shirt she wore when she slept.

Helena raised her eyebrows, asking Zulema what it all meant.

"Both phrases mean good morning" she gestured to Helena to follow her into the kitchen.

She helped Amira set out the plates, and offered to help her with the food, but the old woman refused, insisting on making it herself.

By the time the food was ready, Macarena had woken up and sat at the table, ready to eat for two people.

There were falafel, omelettes, hot bread, and hummus spread on the table, all free of charge. The blonde began to eat as the rest of the women sat down.

"Bismillah" Zulema said as she split her loaf of bread into two pieces, giving the second piece to Amira.

"You really need to teach us Arabic though" Macarena said as she bit into her falafel.

"Don't speak when your mouth is full, rubia"

  
After they'd finished their food and changed, Zulema thanked Amira for letting them stay, and even gave her a hug, which surprised both Macarena and Helena.

Maca was just about to ask how they would continue the rest of the way when Zulema took a right and walked toward what looked like a large stable. She paid the guy standing there €500, told him to keep the change, and waited.

A few minutes later, he walked out with three of the finest horses in the stable. "They're well-fed, hydrated, and 100% healthy" he told Zulema. He handed her three sacks of food as well.

One of the horses was a black mare, her coat reflecting the sunlight. The second one had a grayish coat, spotted in some areas like freckles, with darker hooves and a determined expression. The last horse was completely brown, with a white slit on his head. They all wore saddles and were ready with reins.

Zulema climbed atop the dark mare, immediately taking the reins in her hands. She wore black jeans and boots, which comfortably fit into the foothold.

Helena climbed onto the gray horse, her sneakers slipping gently into the foothold. She took the reins as well.

The guy working at the stable took Maca's hand as she climbed onto the brown horse, her denim shorts and small boots not aiding her. She tried to keep her balance as she pulled on the reins, causing the horse to neigh in complaint.

"You've never ridden before?" Zulema asked, exasperated.

"No-" the blonde replied.

"Back straight, feet in the foothold, butt firm in the saddle" Zulema ordered as she trotted up to the blonde.

"How do I get it to move?" Macarena asked as she began to gain her balance.

"First of all, it's not 'it'. It's a 'he'" Zulema said. "His name is Ammar"

"Oh I'm sorry how do I get Ammar to move?"

"You press lightly onto his stomach with your legs. If you want him to go faster, you press harder. If you want to stop, you pull the reins. Got it?"

"I think so-" the blonde almost slipped off her own horse then regained her composure and straightened her back. She did as Zulema told her and found herself moving.

"Good" Zulema nodded. She got off her horse and emptied the suitcase into the saddlebags they had, equally splitting the clothes, papers, guns, and medication between the three horses' saddlebags. Once she was done, she added the three bags of food, and threw the suitcase into the sand without a second thought. Maca was too busy trying out her horse to notice.

"Put these on" she threw two shawls at Helena and Macarena. "They'll cover your faces so no one will recognize you and the sand won't get in your nose or mouth" she then crouched down and turned her horse's hooves upward, checking her horseshoes.

She did the same with Maca and Helena's horses, then mounted her horse and put a shawl on herself.

The second they had all covered their faces, they heard children and women screaming, and several gunshots near them.

"WHERE IS ZULEMA ZAHIR?" they heard a man yell.

Zulema pulled the shawl over her face, gestured for the two women to stay where they were, and trotted away from the stable. She slowly reached into the saddlebag, her fingers immediately wrapping around her gun.

She finally spotted the five armed men who were talking, at the entrance of the town, pushing people around. In one quick movement, she pulled out her gun, and with five quick shots, they were all on the ground.

"Just bury the bodies" she told the terrified townspeople as she put her gun back. She ran back towards the stable.

"Yara's men?" Helena asked.

Zulema nodded. "There's gotta be more than just five. We have to go" she thanked the guy who helped them, then bent down to whisper to her horse. "Egry, Zalam" (translation: "run, Zalam")

The mare began to gallop, heading for the open sands up ahead. Helena and Macarena followed suit, running behind Zulema.

The blonde held on tightly to the reins as her horse galloped, afraid she would fall off. She looked at Zulema, who was leaning close to her horse as she urged it to go faster. Maca did the same, feeling more secure in that position.

After they had gone a fair distance away from the town, they all began to slow down. The horses slowed down to a trot, and Macarena found her horse catching up to Zulema's mare.

She wasn't telling him where to go, Ammar just caught up to Zalam and trotted next to her. The mare didn't shy away from the other horse, and instead edged a bit closer to him, cause Zulema's knee to brush against Macarena's.

As she looked up to the brunette, the blonde noticed the blood near her shoulder. "ZULEMA WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?" she screamed, alarming Helena, who was a few steps behind.

"Shut up, rubia" Zulema rolled her eyes.

"YOU'RE BLEEDING! WHAT HAPPENED?" the blonde continued to scream, cutting the deadly silence of the desert.

"Nothing happened" the brunette pulled her shawl over her shoulder, covering the wound. "It's just a graze"

Helena trotted up to the two women and squeezed her horse between them. She left the reins and pulled off Zulema's shawl, revealing a bullet wound on her upper arm, and more blood near her ribs.

The other brunette pulled on Zalam's reins, making her stop.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Zulema yelled.

"Get off the horse. Now" Helena said. She was dead serious.

"I don't take orders from you" the brunette stubbornly replied.

"Zulema, you were shot twice. We have to remove the bullets"

"I've gone through worse. We can take them out later" she began to nudge her horse forward but Helena pulled on the reins again.

Zulema shot the other brunette a deadly look, but Helena wasn't gonna back down. She pulled the first aid kit out, and gestured to Macarena to help Zulema off her horse.

They spread Zulema's shawl on the sand and forced her to lay down on it. "Lay down you asshole" Helena pushed the brunette back down when she tried to sit up.

Maca helped Helena pull off Zulema's mesh top, then gave her space to look at the two wounds. They weren't too deep. The bullet on her shoulder was still visible, so it could be pulled out easily. But the bullet near her ribs wasn't near the surface of her skin.

Helena softly ran her fingers accross the brunette's ribs, trying to check if the bullet was lodged in one of them.

"Stop touching me" Zulema squirmed, still trying to sit up.

"Shut up" the other brunette began to clean the wounds, wiping away the blood with a wet piece of cotton. She then poured water on them, and finally began to dab at them with saline solution. She pulled out a pair of tweezers as Zulema grimaced, preparing herself.

The other brunette took a deep breath and slowly pulled out the first bullet, dropping it in the sand. She immediately put a piece of cloth in its place, and told Maca to apply pressure on it. Next came the hard part; the bullet she couldn't see. She cut the wound a little wider, wiping away the blood until she finally spotted the shining lead of the bullet.

She carefully inserted the tweezers, held onto the bullet, and pulled it out. She took another piece of cloth and pressed it on the wound with one hand, and took out the saline solution with the other.

After about 15 minutes of constant cleaning and pressure, the wounds stopped bleeding, and the blood around them began to clot. Helena sighed in relief. She put a spray of saline solution on another cloth, folded it, and used medical tape to secure it on Zulema's ribs, then she wrapped another piece of cloth around her upper arm, securing that with a piece of tape as well.

"Can I put on my shirt now?" An exasperated Zulema asked.

Helena nodded as she packed everything up and returned it to the saddlebag. Macarena helped Zulema onto her horse, then remounted her own.

Zalam began to trot forward at Zulema's command, followed by the two other horses.

After riding for a while, Maca brought her horse to a halt.

"What are you doing?" Zulema asked, slowing down as well.

"Can we stop for a moment?" the younger woman asked.

"Just 5 minutes" the brunette agreed.

The trio got off their horses and drank a bit.

"Where are we even going?" Helena asked, looking around her. Nothing but desert for miles.

"I don't know. I thought by now we would've separated and I would be alone again" Zulema and put her bottle back into her saddlebag.

The two looked at the older woman in disbelief.

"You..... DON'T KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING?!" Macarena screamed.

She got a single nod in response. She growled angrily and kicked a pebble with her foot instead of hitting Zulema.

"Sooner or later we'll reach a village with people who'll tell us where we are. We can go on from there" the brunette said nonchalantly.

Zulema gestured to them to get up, and soon they were riding again. After another hour of riding, houses could be seen in the distance.


	6. Chapter 6

This village wasn't as bright as the other one, and it had less residents. There was a small worn down motel in the middle of all the houses.

"Stay here. I'm going to talk to them" Zulema ordered and pressed the reins of her horse into Helena's hand, then she walked into the motel.

"We're close to the Algerian border" she came back and took Zalam's reins again. "I had to threaten them into accepting euros. They usually take dirhams. Anyway, I got us three rooms. Not the most luxurious, but they're good enough"

They dismounted their horses and tied them outside, then took the saddlebags and went in to find their rooms.

"We'll take turns keeping watch in case they find us. Rubia, you'll start, then I'll go, and Helena will have the last shift" Zulema took her saddlebag and went into her own room.

The other two also went into different rooms. When it got dark Maca went out first as agreed and kept watch, standing by the horses.

Zulema flinched when there was a knock on her door a few hours later. She had been laying in bed, wearing only her large tshirt as usual.

"Don't come in" she yelled, but her door was opened anyway. The blonde entered and sat at the foot of the brunette's bed.

"I said don't come in. Was the 'don't ' part not clear to you?" she rolled her eyes. "What do you want?"

"I got bored. Nothing was happening. It's all just silent. Besides, you didn't specify how long each shift would be" the blonde replied.

The older woman looked her up and down. "If Yara's men get us I'll keep in mind it was your fault"

Macarena shrugged. "It's your turn I guess"

The brunette groaned and looked at Maca's outfit. She was only wearing a large shirt and a pair of shorts. She bit her lower lip before shifting her eyes away. She nodded and slowly got up, put on some sweatpants, and walked out.

"Ah, fuck it" Maca whispered to herself and lay down in the brunette's bed. She was too tired to walk back to her room. She got comfortable, switched off the lights, and inhaled the smell of the brunette's hair on the pillow as a content smile grew on her face.

An hour or so later, Zulema came back. She kicked off her boots then jumped face-down on the bed, earning a squeal from the blonde under her.

"What the fuck?! Joder, rubia" she screamed, awkwardly getting off Maca.

The blonde woke up and looked around, half asleep. "I'm sorry.... I'll go" she rubbed her eyes and sat up. She yawned and got up to leave the room.

The older woman grabbed her arm and pulled her back to her. "You aren't going anywhere" she whispered.

Macarena gasped in surprise. "What are you doing-" she couldn't get her sentence out before the brunette grabbed her blonde locks and pulled her closer to herself.

Zulema pulled her onto the bed and leant over her. They were only apart for a moment as the brunette pulled off Maca's shirt.

They looked at each other for a fraction of a second, then Zulema broke the silence. "I could get used to this" she murmured and bit into Maca's neck.

The blonde gasped in pain. The brunette placed gentle kisses on the bite to soothe the pain a bit. Maca leaned her head further back to give her more space.

She slowly brushed her nails over Macarena's bare thighs to annoy her.

"Please, Zule...." the blonde whispered, already breathless.

"Please Zule what?" the older woman asked with a grin and stopped.

"Fuck me already" Maca replied, frustrated.

The brunette unhooked Maca's bra with a quick movement and threw it carelessly to the floor. The only thing she had on now were her shorts.

As Zulema stroked the hem of the shorts with one hand, the younger woman let out a groan, then stopped breathing as the brunette pulled them down and thrust two fingers inside her.

Macarena buried one hand in Zulema's hair and clawed at the mattress with the other. The brunette leaned over her breasts and started to lick one of her nipples.

The thrusts became faster; more desperate, while Maca's moans became louder and louder. Zulema put her other hand over Maca's mouth. "Shhh, Helena's right outside" she said.

Macarena's hips were rolling against the brunette's fingers, and when she added a third finger, it pushed the blonde over the edge. She bit into Zulema's hand so as not to moan loudly.

The brunette pulled her fingers out, wiped them on her pants and leant against the wall behind the bed, lighting a cigarette.

Maca slowly took her breath. She sat up and looked at Zulema, who had closed her eyes and taken a draft.

As she blew the smoke out, the blonde sat on her lap, and swiped the cigarette away, putting it into her own mouth.

The brunette looked at her sceptically, but stayed silent.

Maca blew a puff of smoke in Zulema's face, then softly bit her earlobe. The older woman just laughed quietly. She wouldn't give her control. Not tonight. Without warning, she thrust two fingers inside her again.

The blonde wasn't prepared for this and bit into Zulema's shoulder to avoid screaming. The thrusts were faster and harder than before. The orgasm hit her fast and hard. She grinded her hips against the brunette's fingers until she felt weak.

Zulema wiped her fingers on her pants again, put her arms around Macarena and pulled her towards her. They stayed like that for a while until the blonde fell asleep.

Carefully, Zulema laid her on the bed and covered her. Then, she lay next to her and watched her. She looked so adorable when she was asleep.

When Macarena woke up the next morning, she searched for Zulema next to her, but she wasn't there. She sighed, got up and started to pick up her things from the floor. Once she had taken everything, she left and quietly entered her own room. She put on a skirt that hardly covered her thighs, along with a striped shirt.

Once she was fully dressed, she walked outside. Her eyes immediately went to Zulema, who was standing by the horses, apparently talking to Zalam. She smiled as she walked up to her. "Good morning"

"Morning" the brunette replied. She looked the blonde up and down. "The skirt's too short. The men are already staring at you. Go change" she ordered.

"No. I like this outfit" the blonde replied stubbornly. "I'm going to take a walk" she walked away from the motel.

Zulema followed her with her eyes. "Joder.... Why does she have to be so stubborn?" she whispered as she pushed herself off the wall she was leaning against.

She grabbed a pistol from her room, then walked out again, looking for Macarena. She didn't trust the people of this village- and the outfit the blonde chose was definitely not appropriate for a place like this.

Her mistrust seemed to be justified, because as she walked further, she spotted the blonde's familiar locks a few meters away, with a man. They were the only ones in the alley. She stopped and watched them.

They talked until the man pushed her against the wall and violently kissed her. Macarena screamed in shock and tried to push him away, which worked at first, until he got a grip on her arms. Then he tore her shirt in an attempt to get it off her.

Zulema pulled her gun out and approached them. "Let her go!" she demanded. He stopped for a moment and looked at her.

"What do we have here? Another sexy chick. Fuck off. I'm busy" he grinned and turned back to Macarena.

The older woman loaded her gun and shot right next to him. A warning shot. "I said let her go, you piece of shit!" she yelled.

Her eyes were cold and dead serious. The man let go of the blonde and kicked her hard, so that she dropped to the ground. "Stay there" he ordered, and walked towards Zulema.

The brunette put her gun away, her rage evident on her face, and walked towards him with a few quick strides. When she got close enough, her first punch landed on his face.

He covered his nose, and with the other hand, he tried to punch back. She dodged and hit him in the stomach as he dropped to the floor.

She sat down in front of him. "You don't deserve to live. You're a shitty human being-" that was as far as she got. He had swung and punched her in the face.

"Zulema!" Macarena screamed and tried to get up.

"Stay there!" the man shouted at Maca as he punched the brunette again. Zulema didn't move and wiped her mouth, which had started bleeding.

"You're giving up? That was easy" he stood up. He walked a few steps before finding Zulema in front of him again. She looked at the ground for half a second then grabbed his shoulders and slammed him onto the wall of the house next to them. She pulled her gun out again.

One shot, right in the middle of his forehead. Macarena looked up at the scene in front of her. Zulema's lip was busted, and her nose had begun bleeding, while the man lay lifeless on the ground. The older woman slowly moved closer to Maca.

The blonde immediately wrapped her arms around Zulema. "I should've listened to you- I'm sorry" she sighed.

"It's fine now" the brunette muttered. "Are you okay? Did he hit your stomach?" she asked, genuinely worried.

"He didn't. I'm fine" Macarena whispered, realizing how much harm she could've done to herself and her child.

Zulema looked directly into Maca's eyes as the blonde raised her hand and traced the cut on her lip with her finger.

"Macarena-" Zulema began to whisper, but the blonde shushed her.

Not breaking the eye contact, she shortened the distance between their faces, then finally let her finger drop and her own lips take it's place.

The kiss was soft and passionate. The brunette melted into Maca's touch, kissing her back with the same fire. It tasted metallic because of the bruise on Zulema's lip, but it meant more to both of them than anything in the world.

When Zulema finally pulled away, she tried to look the other direction, so the blonde wouldn't see her face going red, but Maca used her hands to softly turn her face back to her. For a moment, they only looked into each other's eyes, filled with nothing but affection.

"Let's head back" Zulema broke the silence. She gave Macarena her jacket. "Put it on. He completely shredded your shirt"

The blonde nodded, took the jacket, and pulled it on. She tried to get up, but couldn't.

"He kicked you pretty hard, huh?" the brunette huffed as she gently lifted the blonde up. She wasn't very heavy, so Zulema easily walked with her back to the motel, where Helena was waiting.

"Where were you?" she crossed her arms, one eyebrow raised. Her expression changed when Zulema carefully let the blonde down and she began limping, while the blood on the brunette's face became visible. "What the fuck happened to you?" she exclaimed, running up to them.

"Not important. Help Maca inside" she and Helena helped the blonde to her room. Macarena lay down on her bed and pulled off Zulema's jacket as Helena waited for an explanation.

"This guy was trying to fuck her" Zulema said as she went to the bathroom to wash all the blood off her face. "He's dead now. Check her legs. He kicked her"

Helena quickly scanned Maca's bare legs with her eyes, spotting a large bruise near her right knee. "What kind of asshole does that?" she asked as she pulled out a gel.

Zulema shrugged as she dried her face. "How's her leg?"

"It's just a surface bruise. She'll be fine" Helena quickly rubbed some gel on the blonde's leg. "She'll be able to ride in an hour or so if she rests" with that, she left the two women alone in the room, leaving to get a bit of sleep herself.

Zulema lay down beside the blonde and brushed a strand of blonde hair away from her face with her finger. Why was she like that with her? So caring, tender, protective.... even affectionate.

Macarena looked her in the eyes and snuggled up to her. "Thank you" she whispered.

The older woman slowly nodded in response, and began stroking the blonde's hair, hugging her close. They both fell asleep in that position.

Zulema woke up to someone shaking her awake.

"We have to get going. We've been here long enough" Helena said, shaking Macarena awake as well.

The sun had begun to set, and they still had no idea where they were going. "Is everything packed?" Zulema quickly rubbed her eyes and hopped out of bed.

"I crammed everything I could find into the saddlebags. We should be good" Helena helped Maca to her feet, then left her as she began to walk normally.

"Once we're in Algeria, we'll need to find a doctor" Zulema said as she quickly applied some eyeliner and mascara.

"What?" Maca asked, confused.

"For your baby, you idiot" the brunette clarified as she pulled on her boots and stepped outside.

"Do either of you know how to flirt in French?" Zulema asked once they had ridden for a while and were near the border. They could see the guards in the distance.

Maca just stared at her blankly while Helena nodded. "I'll go" she took off her denim jacket and pulled her tank top a little lower, then stirred her horse forward.

"Can't we just shoot them?" the blonde asked once Helena had gone.

"There are too many of them. There are security cameras as well. We'd be dead in seconds. They'll think we're terrorists with the amount of weapons we have" the older woman replied as she slid off her horse and began to softly stroke her.

A few minutes later, Helena gestured to them to come over. Macarena rode forward whilst Zulema walked, Zalam's reins in her hand.

"This is Jean" Helena smiled. It was a smile that was too sweet to be believed, but the blonde man she referred to as Jean looked elated.

"Parlez-vous français?" He asked as he shook both women's hands.

"Non" Zulema shrugged. "Ne parlons pas français bien. Je suis désolée"

"But that was perfect French" Jean said in a heavy accent.

"I studied it in school" the brunette replied, taking note of the number of guards around them.

"María told me how you got lost in the desert while on a trip. I can help you get in, but I will need passports" the man said, gesturing to Helena.

Zulema squinted as she tried to understand his accent. "Ah, yes, María" she looked at Helena, who shrugged in response.

Macarena pulled out the fake passports Omar had made for them and handed them to Jean.

"Pleasure meeting you, Thea et Molly" he smiled warmly, then led them inside for a drink while another soldier took care of the horses.

They had to sit through his boring conversation with Helena and had to swallow his lame excuse for coffee, but they were grateful he let them in without pressing further.

"I booked you rooms in a hotel not far from here. I could give you directions, but I'd rather escort you myself. My shift ends in the morning if you can wait-" Jean began as they started packing up to leave.

"I'm really sorry, we're in a bit of a hurry. But I'll see you again soon, Jean" Helena kissed him on the cheek and hurriedly ushered the two other women outside, fed up with pretending.

"You should've worked as an actress, not a police officer" Zulema commented as she mounted her horse.

"Acting eats away at my soul" the other brunette groaned, stirring her horse forward.

"If we're going to a hotel- where are we keeping the horses?" Maca asked. She had gotten quite attached to Ammar.

"We can find a good stable for them to stay while we figure things out in the city...." Zulema huffed. "Hey, Jean?" she yelled.

"Oui?" the man popped his head out.

"Do you know anywhere we can keep the horses?" the brunette asked, forcing a smile.

"Ma mère has a- uh- farm with many animals. I'm sure she could take them for a bit" he smiled back.

Zulema nodded reluctantly. She had no other choice. She dismounted Zalam, gestured to the two other women to do the same, and handed her reins to Jean.

She asked for some bags and emptied the saddlebags away from Jean's line of vision, zipping them closed after she was done.

"Prends soin d'eux" she whispered as he took all three horses away.

"Now how are we getting to the hotel?" Maca asked, the idea of walking seeming too daunting.

Before Zulema could answer, Jean walked back out with three bikes. "No. Fucking. Way" Zulema crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes.

The blonde ran up to the bikes excitedly and sat on one. While Helena looked at them from afar.

"Shit" both brunettes whispered. Neither of them liked bikes. But it was their only option.

After what seemed like eons of tiresome cycling, the three women finally reached the hotel. It was grand, and from the looks of it, extremely luxurious.

As they entered the lobby, they took in the beauty of the crystals on the chandelier, the winding staircase behind the desk, and the polished marble floors.

"This is a rich-people hotel" the blonde whispered, her eyes darting around the reception.

Helena spoke to the receptionist in French while Macarena and Zulema looked around in awe.

"Merci" the other brunette finished, taking three key cards and catching up to the other two. She handed each of them a keycard, slung her own bag onto her shoulder, and headed up the staircase.

"See you in the morning" Zulema mumbled after her. "Vamos, rubia" they took the elevator, both still out of breath after all the cycling.

They went into their separate rooms, but less than an hour later, there was a soft knock on Zulema's door. She didn't answer, knowing the blonde would come waltzing in anyway.

As expected, Macarena opened the door and tiptoed into the room.

"So how'd you get a key card to my room?" Zulema asked, amused.

"I yelled at the receptionist like all those rich people do, and she just handed me a key card" the younger woman laughed, already cuddling up to the brunette in her bed.

"Buenas noches, rubia" the older woman laughed, relaxing in the blonde's arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this chapter took so long to upload 🥺 i hope y'all enjoy reading 💖

**Author's Note:**

> The first chapter is a bit short, but we have a LOT in store for the next chapters :)


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